Machine for transfer of wound bobbins to bobbin holders from winding machines



April 25, 1950 Filed Feb. 14, 1945 MACHINE FOR OF WOUND BOBBINS TO BOBBIN HOLDERS FROM WINDING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

B2)? A. Peterson BY g 7,;

ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 25, 1950 MACHINE FOR TRANSFER OF WOUND BOBBINS TO BOBBIN HOLDERS FROM WINDING MACHINES Burt A. Peterson, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Barher-Colman Company, Rockford, 11]., a comration of Illinois Application February 14, 1945, Serial No. 577,8

13 Claims. 1

" The invention relates to the handling of Woundv bobbins in an automatic multiple unit winding machine, and the primary object of the invention such supports in groups for quick transfer to a portable carrying frame or pin board.

Another object is to provide a wound bobbin handling mechanism for windin machines wherein the bobbins are delivered to a storage means in the form of bobbin holders individually providing a single row of bobbin supporting elements and adapted to be mounted upon a portable carrying frame.

To permit of continuous operation of the winder, the bobbin holders must be advanced so that their bobbin supporting elements are successively presented in proper timed relation to the delivery mechanism of such machine. Also a constant supply of bobbin holders must be maintained. The provision of mechanisms for the attainment of these results constitute further objects of my invention.

The objects of the invention thus generally stated, together with other and ancillary advantages, are attained by the construction and arrangement shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 -9. fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view through a bobbin winding machine showing one unit of such machine equipped with a bobbin handling mechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on a somewhat enlarged scale taken approximately in the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. l. L

i Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken approximately in the plane of line 3-3 of Fig 2 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken in the plane of line 44 of Fig. 1 but on a larger scale.

The improved bobbin handling mechanism 01' the present illustrative embodiment of my invention is designed for use with an automatic bobbin winding machine having winding means generally designated 6, and a transfer or delivery mechanism I whereby successively wound bobbins I are received in a suitable support in the form of an elongated receptacle or a trough 9, and then transferred to individual bobbin supporting elements herein in the form of pins Hi, the latter being presented to the delivery mechanism with an indexing motion by .suitable means such as an endless chain II. This mechanism forms per so no part of the present invention, being disclosed and claimed in the copending application of Russell P. Drake, Ser. No; 553,507, filed September 11, 1944, now Patent No. 2,445,998, dated July 27, 1948. It need not, therefore, be described in detail. In brief, the delivery mechanism 1 comprises a plunger l2 reciprocable by a cam l3 through the medium of a lever ll, gearin l5, crank I6 and lever I1. The trough 9 is fast on a plate 9a suitably mounted for sliding movement on a support 9b in a direction axially of the pins l0. Rigid with the base plate is a member 9c having a disengageable connection In with the plunger l2. In the movement of the plunger by the cam iii the trough is advanced to carry a bobbin therein to an awaiting pin III. In such movement, a spring 9d interposed'between the support 9b and the member is compressed for the purpose of returning the trough upon disengagement of the connection I la, the latter being engaged and disengaged in a manner set forth insaid copending application and forming no part of the present invention. As the bobbins are wound, they are dropped into the trough 9 which is then shifted laterally into operative association with the plunger I! for the delivery of wound bobbins to an awaiting pin III.

In accordance with the present invention. the bobbin supporting elements l0 instead of being mounted directly on the chain I l as in said Drake application are mounted upon individual holders l8, each containing a group of elements l0 arranged in a straight row. Although the elements are advanced with a step-by-step motion to the delivery mechanism, the holders are removable from the machine so that when loaded a group of bobbins contained on the holders may be transferred conveniently to a suitable supporting frame.

In the present instance, each bobbin holder it comprises an elongated base member having a plurality of spaced bobbin supporting elements or pins in thereon. Preferably the base member is in the form of a slide bar IQ of sheet metal with opposite side edges flanged to provide inturned slide members 20 (Fig. 2). The pins II are rigidly secured to the bar IS in any suitable way and each is provided with a spring retaining clip 2 l yieldably engageable with the butt end of the bobbin as shown at the top of Fig. 3. No claim is herein made to the bobbin holders perrse. the same being claimed in my copending application, Ser. No. 577,866, filed February 14, 1945, now Patent No. 2,466,861.

For movably supporting and advancing the holders it, a conveyor is employed providing an elongated runway or slideway having guides 22 for the slide members 20, and advancing means comprising the chain l I. In the present instance the guides 22 are formed at the front of a vertical chain guiding and enclosing structure comprising an elongated rear bar 23 (Fig. 2) and opposite side plates 24 coacting to form a long vertical chamber 25. for enclosing a long upright run of the chain II. The guides 22 are formed by plates 26 having undercut side edges coacting with flanges 21 on the side plates 24. As shown clearly in said figure, the bobbin holder slides are firmly supported for endwise movement with the slide members engaging in the guides 22.

The conveyor chain II is supported and adchain moves through a substantially rectangular path as determined by four sprockets 28, 28 28 and 29, and it carries a plurality of advancing elements or dogs 30 for coaction with lugs 3i rigid with the holder slides l8 (Fig. 3). To provide the dogs 30 the chain includes special links at suitably spaced intervals, the dogs being formed integral with such links as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

The sprocket 29 of the chain driving and supporting mechanism constitutes the driving sprocket. It is actuated by a cam 32 through the medium of a lever 33 and a pawl and ratchet mechanism generally designated 34 and consisting of a crank actuated drive pawl 35 and a holding pawl 36. It will be understood that the length of each indexing movement of the chain corresponds to the spacing of the pins in on the slides l8 and that the dogs 30 are spaced along the chain according to the length of the slides.

To maintain a constant supply of empty bobbin holders for engagement by successive chain dogs, I provide a magazine 31 together with means responsive to the advance of the chain in carrying one slide out of the magazine to control the movement into operative position of the next succeeding slide. The magazine which may be of any suitable construction is positioned in the machine below the delivery mechanism 1. Its forward side is open for the reception of the slides l8 with the latter in vertical position and their pins projecting forwardly. In this connection it will be noted that the slides are formed at opposite ends with rest plates 38 (Fig. 3) for supporting the same while protecting the adjacent pins on the slides. Moreover, these rest plates are made of a length such as to constitute spacers for maintaining the slides in properly spaced relation independently of the bobbin supporting pins Ill, it being observed that the ends of the spacers are bent slightly for this purpose.

For feeding the bobbin holders rearwardly in the magazine I provide a bell crank having one arm 39 engaged with a follower plate 40 and a second arm 39 to which is attached a weight 4 I. The follower plate has a pin 42 projecting through a slot 43 in the side of the magazine.

The advance of each holder into active position is controlled in the present instance by a detent magazine.

posed in the path of movement of the chain dogs 30 so that as one of the holders is raised out of the magazine by one dog, the feeler is engaged by the succeeding one to disengage the detent 44 from blocking relation to the next holder. It will be noted in this connection that the blocks 3| which are engaged by the dogs 30 are disposed substantially intermediate the ends of the slides.

Upon release of a bobbin holder slide by the detent 44, it moves rearwardly under the influence of the weight 4| against locating stops 48 and-48 (Figs. 1 and 4), the latter being upturned fromthe bottom of the magazine. In their rearward movement, the holders are guided at opposite side edges by the side walls 50 of the Accordingly, the holders are positioned with their channel shaped slide members 20 properly alined with the guide members 22. Immediately upon the release of the rearmost slide in the magazine, the dog 30 which has engaged the feeler to actuate the detent rides past the feeler, releasing the detent to the action of its spring 41. When this occurs, the cam surface 5| on the detent engages with the next holder (Fig. 2) camming it forwardly clear of the rearmost holder which is being advanced for the delivery thereto of the wound bobbins.

Summarizing the operation of the improved mechanism, wound bobbins 8 upon being doffed from the winding mechanism are dropped into the trough 9 and'following the shift of the trough into operative relation with the plunger l2 it is moved rearwardly to position the wound bobbin onto a pin "I then occupying what may be termed the loading position. The holders are advanced step-by-step in the operation of the chain II by the dogs 30 engaging with blocks 5| on the holder slides, the latter being firmly supported and guided in such movement by the interengaging guide members 20 and 22. As soon as one holder is advanced vertically out of the magazine 31, the detent 44 is actuated bya dog 30 engaging the feeler 45 to move the detent against the action of its spring 41 out of blocking relation to the next rearmost slide. Upon such release, that slide is shifted rearwardly into engagement with the locating .stops 48 and, being guided laterally in such movement by the side walls of the magazine. The holder thus has its slide members 20 properly alined with respect to the guides 22 preliminary to the advance of the holder in the succeeding indexing movement of the chain H. Return movement of'the detent 44 as per-. mitted by the release of the feeler 45, earns the next succeeding holder slightly forward clear of the slide in advanced or active position.

When the filled bobbin holders reach the upper portion of the slideway they are removed from the guides 22 by an attendant and placed upon a suitable carrying frame. By extending the slideway upwardly, a substantial distance above the loading position, a number of holders arm 44 (Figs. 2 and 4) and a feeler arm 45,

may be allowed to accumulate thereon.

I claim as my invention:

1. A bobbin winding machine having, in combination, a slideway for supporting and guiding a. plurality of bobbin holders each comprising an elongated base member having a plurality of spaced bobbin supporting elements thereon. means for delivering wound bobbins to said ele-' ments when the latter reach a predetermined loading position along said slideway, a magazine at one end of said slideway for receiving and positioning a plurality of holders one behind the other parallel to the slideway. andv locating means.

for the leading holder on salt halide- 2. A bobbin winding machine havin in combination, a slideway for supporting and guiding a plurality of bobbin holders each comprising an elongated base member having a plurality of spaced bobbin supporting elements thereon, means for delivering wound bobbins to said elements when the latter reach a predetermined loading position along said slideway, a magazine at one end of said slideway for receiving and, positionlng a plurality of holders in parallel relation to each other and to the slideway, locatlng means for positioning the leading holder on said slideway, and indexing means engageable .with said holders to, advance the same in unison along the slideway.

3. A bobbin winding machine having, in combination, a slideway for supporting and guiding a plurality of bobbin holders each comprising an elongated base member having a plurality of spaced bobbin supporting elements thereon, meansfor delivering woundbobbins .to said elements when the latter reach a predetermined loading position along said slideway, a magazine at one end of said slideway. .for receiving and positioning a plurality of holders in parallel relation to eachother and to the slideway, locating means for positioning the leading holder relative to said slideway, and indexing means engageable with said holders'to advance the same in unison along the slideway including an endless chain having dogs disengageably associated with the respective holders; g

4. A bobbin winding machine having, in combination, means including an elongated runway for supporting and guiding a series of bobbin holders each comprising an elongated base member with a plurality of spaced bobbin supporting elements thereon, means for delivering wound bobbins to said elements when the latter reach a predetermined loading position along said runway, the filled bobbin holders being removable bodily from the runway at one end thereof, and means for delivering empty bobbin holders to the other end of said runway including a magazine supporting empty bobbin holders parallel with said runway and disposed one behind the other, and a device for feeding bobbin holders in said to the rlmway automatically.

5. A bobbin winding machine having, in combination, bobbin delivery means including a support for the reception of wound bobbins, conveyor means .ior advancing in end-to-end relation and in unison a series of bobbin holders each comprising an elongated base member with spaced supporting elements thereon whereby to present said elements successively opposite said with bobbin supporting elements thereon, means for delivering wound bobbins to said elements when the latter reach a predetermined loading bobbin holders parallel with said runway and dissupport, said delivery means including an actuator for shifting wound bobbins on said support onto the successively, presented supporting elements, said conveyor means including an elongated runway and an endless chain having means thereon engageable with the holders on the runway, an empty bobbin magazine for supporting a pluralityoi bobbin holders parallel to the run-' way with the leading one of said holders on said runway and in operative association with the conveyor chain, and means controlled by said chain upon the advance of the leading holder out of the magazine to cause the next succeeding holder to be advanced onto the runway.

6. A- bobbin winding machine having, in combination, means including an elongated runway supporting and guiding a series of bobbin holders posed one behind the other, locating means for positioning the leading one of said holders in aiinement with the runway, and means operative in the advance of the leading holder out of the magazine to feed the remaining holders toward the runway so as to position the next succeeding holder in aiinement .with the runway.

7. A bobbin winder having, in combination. bobbin delivering means including asupport for wound bobbins, a conveyor comprising a straight elongated runway, and indexing means for ad-' vancing a series of bobbin holders with a step-bystep motion along the runway and in' unison whereby to position bobbin supporting elements thereon opposite said support successively, said delivery means including a transfer device ac-* tuated in timed relation to such advance of the holders to shift bobbins on said support to successively presented supporting elements, and means for supplying empty bobbin holders to the conveyor including a magazine having bobbin holders supported therein in parallel relation to the runway, means for advancingthe bobbin holders in the magazine to carry the leading holder onto said runway. and means operative as an incident to the advance of said leading holder out of the magazine to cause the next succeeding holder to be advanced to the runway.

8. A bobbin winding machine having, in combination, bobbin delivery means including a support for the reception of wound bobbins, means for advancing in end-to-end relation and in: unison a series of bobbin holders having indichain having means thereon 'engageable with holders on the runway, an empty bobbin magazine for supporting a plurality of bobbin holders in spaced relation with the leading one of said holders on said runway and in operative associa-' tion with the conveyor chain, and means controlled by said chain upon the advance of the leading holder out of the magazine to cause the next succeeding holder to be advanced onto the runway, the last mentioned means comprising means yieldably forcing the bobbin holders in the magazine toward the runway, a detentacting upon the next succeeding holder to restrain all of the holders from movement by said yieldable means, and a feeler actuated by said chain upon the removal from the magazine of the leading holder to shift said detent out of holding relation to the succeeding holder.

9. A bobbin winding machine having, in combination, bobbin delivery means including a sup port for the reception of wound bobbins, means for advancing in end-to-end relation and in unison a series of bobbin holders having .individual supporting elements thereon whereby to present said elements successively opposite said support, said delivery means including an actuator'for shifting wound bobbins on said support next succeeding holder to be advanced onto the runway, the last mentioned means comprising means yieldably forcing the bobbin holders in the magazine toward the runway, a detent spring-pressed into holding relation to the next succeeding bobbin holder, a feeler, means on the conveyor chain acting on said feeler upon the advance of the leading bobbin holder out of the magazine to shift the detent out of holding relation to the next succeeding bobbin holder, said detent being operative upon release by the dog to shift the said succeeding bobbin holder reversely with respect to the then leading bobbin holder.

'10. A bobbin winding machine having, in combination, a slideway for supporting and guiding a plurality of bobbin holders with bobbin supportway,.a magazine at one end of said slideway for receiving and positioning a plurality of holders,

one behind the otherwith the leading holder alined with the runway, means including a series of dogs for engaging successive holders for advancing the same along the runway, a-detent acting upon the next following holder to restrain the same against movement toward the guideway, yieldable means urging all of the holders toward the slideway, and means operated by said dogs for actuating the detent whereby to release the said following bobbin holder upon the movement of the leading bobbin holder out of the magazine.

11. In a bobbin winding machine having an elongated receptacle for receiving successively wound bobbins and means operating periodically to eject the bobbins from thereceptacle axially thereof, a runway for slidably supporting in endto-end relation a plurality of bobbin holders each comprising an elongated base member with a row of bobbin supporting elements in spaced relation thereon, said runway comprising guide means disposed in perpendicular relation to said receptacle, means for advancing the bobbin holders to advance them step-by-step and successively present the supporting elements in opposed relation to the receptacle and in timed relation to said ejecting means, means for supporting a stack of bobbin holders at one side of-the runway.- and means for shifting the holders successively to present the base members thereof into alinement with said guide means for engagement by said advancing means.

12. In a bobbin winding machine having an elongated receptacle for receiving successively wound bobbins and means operating periodically to eject the bobbins from the receptacle axially thereof, a runway for slidably supporting in end-to-end relation a plurality of bobbin holders each having an elongated base member with a row of bobbin supporting elements in spaced relation thereon, said runway being disposed in perpendicular-relation tol-said trough, means for indeiim said elements in opposed relation to the trough successively and in timed relation to said ejecting means, and means for automatically supplying bobbin holders to the runway comprising a magazine supporting theholders in parallel relation to the runway at one side thereof, means for advancing the holders in the magazine toward the runway, means releasably retaining the holders against movement by the-advancing means, and means responsive to the movement of one holder out of position between the magazine and the runway to actuate said releasing means whereby to cause the next. succeeding holder to be advanced to the runway.

13. In a bobbin winding machine having an elongated receptacle for receiving successively wound bobbins and means operating periodically to eject the bobbins from the receptacle axially thereof, a runway for slidably supporting in endto-end relation a plurality of bobbin holders each having an elongated base member with reversely bent opposite edge portions, said runway being disposed in perpendicular relation to said receptacle and having a pair of spaced parallel guide grooves opening outwardly to receive said edge portions, and means for. indexing said members step-by-step in timed relation to said ejecting means.

BURT A. PETERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS g said members ,step-by-step to present 

